Improvement in tracks for street-railways



v P. nun/m, Tracks for Strut Railways;

Patented Sept. 22,1874.

N0.l55,l97.

With ewe 5 7 25s afformg' I UNITED STATEs PATENT OEEIoE.

PATRICK MIHAN, OF OAMBRIDGEPORT, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN TRACKS FOR STREET-RAILWAYS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 155,197, dated September 22, 1874; application filed July 11, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PATRIoK MIHAN, of Cambridgeport, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Street-Railways; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

In the said drawing, Figure 1 denotes a side elevation of a railway-bed having its stringer or rail-supporting timber resting on sleepers, the said timber having two rails or sections of a rail applied thereto, and having their abutting ends supported by my improved saddle or chair. Fig. 2 is a transverse section thereof; and Fig. 3, a top view, with one section of rail removed, in order to more clearly show my rail-supporting device.

My invention relates to an improvement in means or devicesfor supporting the abutting sections of rails of street or horse railways.

In theordinary application of rails to the stringers or longitudinal timbers of streetrailways, in order to support the abutting ends of the rails, and prevent such ends from abrading or unduly wearing away the wood or timber under the same by the continuous concussion and action of the wheels upon the ends of the rails, such ends have had a short flat plate of metal placed underneath their joints; but experience has demonstrated that such is wholly insufficient to preserve the rails in their proper horizontal alignment. The object of my invention is to prevent such abnormal curvature, and thus maintain the track, or the sections of rail, in their normal status or alignment. This I effect by the peculiar construction of my improved device,

and its application to the rail-supportin g timber and rail, as hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawing, A A A denote three sleepers, on which are imposed two stringers or railsupporting timbers, B B, which are secured thereto in the ordinary manner. 0 O are two sections of rail laid upon one of the timbers B, c c denoting their abutting ends. D is a metallic plate about one foot in length, the same being formed with two lateral right-angular flanges, b b, to extend down and rest upon the opposite vertical faces of the stringer or timber B, such flanges serving not only to give greater longitudinal firmness to the plate D, but preventing any lateral flexion. thereof. This plate is also formed with a longitudinal shoulder, d, to receive the flange f of the rail, the same being as shown in Fig. 2.

The device so constructed I place upon the rail-timber, and with its middle under the joint or abutting ends of the rails, and embed it in the wood, so that its upper surface shall stand flush with the upper surface of the timher, and I secure the deviceby nails orscrews, one row of such being shown in Fig. 1.

The chamber or recess 41 for the device D I form by compressing the wood so as to render the latter more compact; but, if desirable, the same may be mortised into the wood. Furthermore, in order to give a greater firmness and stability to the parts, I sometimes connect the ends of the rails to the saddle D by means of a bar or bent staple, h, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

' In producing my improved device, bars for forming the same may be rolled (between dies suitably formed) of any desired length, and afterward cut into the requisite length.

From the above it will be seen that by my peculiar construction and application of the saddle or device D, the same not only serves to protect the wood from atmospheric influence, but forms a rigid and firm support for the ends of the rails.

I do not claim the invention as shown and described in Letters Patent No. 87,308, as my invention differs therefrom, and by its novel construction better maintains the chain or saddle in its normal position upon the stringer.

Having described my invention, whatI claim 1s- 1. The improved saddle or chair, as described, the same consisting of the plate D, provided with lateral flanges b b to bear against opposite sides of a stringer, and the In testimony thatIclaim the foregoing as my shoulder d to receive the flange f of the rail, own invention, I affix my signature in pres as set forth. ence of two Witnesses.

2. In a rail stringer or timber, B, provided PATRICK MIHAN. with a saddle, D, as described, the chamber Witnesses: 0r recess i,'when formed by compressing the F. P. HALE,

Wood as and for the purpose set forth. GEO. GRAY. 

